Use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. Includes stenocaptioners who operate computerized stenographic captioning equipment to provide captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers.
National median · BLS
$72,420
▲ +7.59%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$78,760
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
12,870
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$42,130
25th
$53,760
Median (50th)
$72,420
75th
$100,780
90th — top pay
$130,560
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
BLS projects employment of court reporters and simultaneous captioners to decline 0.1% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 1,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
19,900 → 19,900
+0 jobs
Projected change
-0.1%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
33.4% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Active Listening4.3
Writing3.6
Reading Comprehension3.5
Monitoring3.0
Speaking3.0
Critical Thinking2.8
Time Management2.8
Quality Control Analysis2.6
Social Perceptiveness2.6
Active Learning2.0
Top knowledge areas
English Language4.9
Computers and Electronics4.4
Administrative4.0
Law and Government4.0
Customer and Personal Service3.7
Telecommunications2.7
Communications and Media2.4
Administration and Management2.1
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordAcclaim Legal Acclaim DepoManageAcculaw Court Reporters Billing Scheduling Job Management System ABSMSAdvantage Software Total EclipseAudioScribe SpeechCATChase Software Solutions Court Reporting SoftwareCheetah International SmartCATCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteCourtpagesCourtroom Data Solutions TechlenniumElectronic Transcript Software ProTEXTEquative TimeLedgerForTheRecord TheRecord PlayerGigatron StenoCATHTH Engineering Start-Stop PowerPlay
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What court reporters and simultaneous captioners do
Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public.
Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text.
Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks.
Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys.
Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements.
Proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words.
File a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk's office.
Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $72,420.
